Wordsworth’s school

Hawkshead is a lovely village in Cumbria with higgledy-piggledy houses and streets. Here, you can find the Beatrix Potter Gallery, generous portions of excellent ice cream from The Little Ice Cream Shop and tucked away from the main street, the Grammar School, attended by William Wordsworth.

Founded in 1585, the grammar school taught grammar (Latin grammar) and the principles of the Greek tongue and other sciences which made up the curriculum. Many Tudor grammar schools were controlled by the Town Council, but Hawkshead had no such body and so the Archbishop of York petitioned Queen Elizabeth I for a charter to set up a governing body.

We were (selfishly!) delighted to find that we were the only people booked on our time slot which was wonderful for us, but a great shame for everyone who missed out on what was a highly entertaining and informative visit. The building is covered in graffiti- the names and initials of the boys who spent their schooldays in this room are carved all over the walls and furniture, including those of the young William Wordsworth.

The original charter, signed by Elizabeth I, can be seen in the museum, one of many fascinating artefacts to be found here. Sadly, as we visited shortly after the Covid lockdowns, we were not allowed to visit the upstairs room of the school house. As this is where the library is housed, you can imagine just how disappointed I was, but our guide kindly brought one book down for us to have a look at which was vey special.

The schoolroom is such a wonderful place to visit! Full of atmosphere and charm, it is easy to imagine the boys from the past at their desks as the very knowledgeable guide, full of passion and enthusiasm for the place, shares stories of their schooldays. We will be visiting again!

Hawkshead Grammar School

Hawkshead, Cumbria

You can read about Wordsworth’s birthplace in Cockermouth here and Dove Cottage here.